August 2017

Aug 31, 2017

Tropical Storm Lidia was positioned immediately southwest of Cabo San Lucas late Thursday evening, delivering powerful winds and torrential rain that was flooding city streets and parts of nearby San Jose del Cabo.

The storm's center is predicted to skirt Cabo San Lucas, a Mexican resort destination on Baja California’s tip, before making landfall farther north on the Pacific side of the peninsula. Hurricane watches and tropical storm warnings remain in effect for much of the Mexican state of Baja California Sur.

Ehrenberg, who runs Pisces Sportfishing inside Cabo San Lucas Marina, shared reports about flooding in San Jose del Cabo, 35 miles north of Cabo San Lucas. The two cities and the corridor that connects them comprise the popular Los Cabos tourism zone.

The storm was being felt at least as far north as La Paz, on the eastern shore of the peninsula along the Sea of Cortez.

In the East Cape region, also on the Sea of Cortez between Cabo San Lucas and La Paz, resident Mark Rayor said late Thursday afternoon that conditions weren’t as bad.

“Toughest thing here is that we are not getting a satellite signal so we can’t watch the news,” Rayor said. “Tired of being cooped up inside [but] there have been enough breaks in the rain to take our dogs and cats out to do what they need to do.”

Gary Barnes-Webb, at nearby Rancho Leonero Resort, later said that East Cape arroyos were "in full-flood" stage and predicted "devastation" in certain areas.

It was too early at the time of this post for a damage assessment, and it was unclear how Lidia is affecting small and remote towns on the Pacific side of the peninsula.

Lidia is expected to remain at tropical storm strength through late Saturday night, as it churns northwest across land, before it reenters the Pacific and slowly dissipates in cool water.

Though Lidia is not expected to attain hurricane strength (sustained gusts of 74 mph or stronger), hurricane watches (hurricane conditions possible) and tropical storm warnings have been issued by Mexico. The Florida-based National Hurricane Center listed them as follows in its 6 p.m. update on Wednesday:

A Hurricane Watch is in effect for...

Baja California Sur from Puerto Cortes to east of La Paz

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for...

Baja California Sur from Puerto Cortes to San Evaristo

Mainland Mexico from Bahia Tempehuaya to Huatabampito

A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for...

Baja California Sur from north of San Evaristo to Loreto

North of Puerto Cortes to Puerto San Andresito

Lidia, which late Wednesday boasted winds of 40 mph, is expected to arrive near Baja California’s tip late Thursday or early Friday.

Tracy Ehrenberg, general manager of Pisces Sportfishing in the Cabo San Lucas marina, said Wednesday evening via email that boats were ordered back in port before a 1 p.m. port closure.

“A squall blew through that lasted 10 minutes, then it settled again,” Ehrenberg said. “So far just one rain shower that lasted five minutes at most. It’s cloudy but really no wind and seas are not bad on the Pacific… up to, say, 10-15 mph.”

Mark Rayor, owner of Jen Wren Sportfishing in the East Cape region on the Sea of Cortez, added: "Nothing alarming so far. Just hope the forecast is right and it doesn’t spool up. Kinda like a rattlesnake: doesn’t look that bad but you never know when it will get pissed off."

Aug 10, 2017

A snorkeler off Queensland, Australia, is fortunate to have escaped injury when a humpback whale calf breached and nearly splashed down directly on top of him.

Connor Lyons, 19, was freediving with two friends Wednesday off Noosa Heads when the mother humpback whale and her 1-ton calf swiftly approached.

“The calf was coming so fast at us… we couldn’t kick fast enough,” Lyons told 9 News. “And when the whale popped up it landed back down on my left leg and knocked my fin off.”

The divers were returning to their boat when they spotted both whales in the distance. They did not intend to dive with the whales, Lyons said, but the whales approached before they could exit the water.

The calf, most likely exhibiting playful behavior, breached and nearly landed squarely on top of Lyons.

“I got in just enough kicks to avoid the whale, but it just clipped me and I lost my flipper,” the diver recalled. “The force created a little tornado and pulled me under for a second.”

Lyons is extremely fortunate that it was a breaching calf, and not a breaching mom. Adult humpback whales, which also like to breach, can measure 50-plus feet and weigh as much as 40 tons.